Debunking 3 of the biggest myths about Midwest tech

In the past four years, a slew of articles have been published comparing the Midwest tech scene to Silicon Valley: in 2014, 2015, 2016, and ending with a recent one from the New York Times. While well-intentioned, these articles all have at their premise the same core element — a comparison. For those of us who live and breathe Midwest tech, the analogy is tired. We have our unique ecosystem, and while there are things that make us different from Silicon Valley, there are also a few stereotypes that seem to permeate any “vs. the Valley” article or conversation.

Myth 1: The Midwest is all about B2B. Yes, we have a slant toward B2B in the Midwest. That’s because we are concerned with fundamentally different industries in this part of the country. Our tech ecosystem grew from the sectors that have been here for decades, even centuries. Transportation, finance, manufacturing: These are the infrastructure industries that transformed different parts of the Midwest throughout the 20th century. As we’ve moved into the 21st century, our most robust and innovative technical practices stem directly from these foundational industries. However, that doesn’t mean that we only produce B2B companies.

Click here to read the complete article. Originally published April 10, 2018.

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